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. 2023 Oct 9;78(10):1625-1635.
doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbad082.

Social and Leisure Activities Predict Transitions in Cognitive Functioning in Older Mexican Adults: A Latent Transition Analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study

Michael C Robertson  1 , Brian Downer  2 , Paul E Schulz  3 , Rafael Samper-Ternent  4 , Elizabeth J Lyons  1 , Sadaf Arefi Milani  5
Affiliations

Social and Leisure Activities Predict Transitions in Cognitive Functioning in Older Mexican Adults: A Latent Transition Analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study

Michael C Robertson et al. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. .

Abstract

Objectives: Mexico has a rapidly aging population at risk for cognitive impairment. Social and leisure activities may protect against cognitive decline in older adults. The benefits of these behaviors may vary by patterns of cognitive impairment. The objectives of this study were to identify latent states of cognitive functioning, model the incidence of transitions between these states, and investigate how social and leisure activities were associated with state transitions over a 6-year period in Mexican adults aged 60 and older.

Methods: We performed latent transition analyses to identify distinct cognitive statuses in the 2012 and 2018 waves of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (N = 9,091). We examined the transition probabilities between these states and their associations with social and leisure activities.

Results: We identified 4 cognitive statuses at baseline: normal cognition (43%), temporal disorientation (30%), perceptual-motor function impairment (7%), and learning and memory impairment (20%). Various social and leisure activities were associated with reduced odds of death and disadvantageous cognitive transitions, as well as increased odds of beneficial transitions.

Discussion: Mapping the effects of popular social and leisure activities onto common patterns in cognitive functioning may inform the development of more enjoyable and effective health-protective behavioral interventions.

Keywords: Cognitive aging; Health behavior; Hispanic or Latino; Leisure activities; Longitudinal studies.

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Conflict of interest statement

P. E. Schulz serves as a consultant for Eli Lilly, Biogen, and Acadia Pharmaceuticals and gives speeches for them; and, he has contracts with multiple pharmaceutical companies to perform clinical trials. The other authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Probabilities of impairment at baseline of latent statuses were identified in random intercept-latent transition analysis among participants from the Mexican Health and Aging Study included in these analyses (n = 9,091).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Prevalence and transition probabilities associated with latent statuses identified in random intercept-latent transition analysis, based on the estimated model among participants from the Mexican Health and Aging Study included in these analyses (n = 9,091).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals of engaging in various social and leisure time activities on baseline cognitive statuses, relative to normal cognition status, based on the estimated model among participants from the Mexican Health and Aging Study included in these analyses (n = 9,091).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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